I read a post today on LinkedIn that started out like this: “Your salary increase will be 2%,” I told her. It was one of my worst moments as a people leader. She was my star performer, my right hand person. 1000% business critical to our team. Yet 2% was the best our company would give her. It was far beneath her value, and we both knew it, and I couldn’t do better for her. The author goes on to say that he advised her to look for a new job that would pay what she’s worth, which she did. And the moral of the story is that you can’t complain when employees leave if you don’t give them reasons to stay. Surprisingly to me, the poster got a lot of recognition and praise for his handling of this tale of woe. I don’t like the story myself. As I… Read more →
EppsNet Archive: Work
International Women’s Day 2024
Happy International Women’s Day 2024! (Belated — I meant to post this yesterday.) So many girls and women who’ve been a joy to work with as students, colleagues, teachers, mentors. I wish I could relive every moment with you. If you think you may be in that group, you probably are. If you’re not sure, message me and I’ll tell you. 🙂 I think I remember women better because there haven’t been as many of them. I work in software engineering. Women are underrepresented in software engineering. You may have heard. Women and men are different so it doesn’t seem surprising that they choose to do different things with their lives. Software engineering has been a good career for me because I like solving problems and building things, so I’ve been able to make a living doing, for the most part, things that I like and things that (I think)… Read more →
When I Grow Up, I Want to Work for a Woke Company
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Empire Growth (@empire_growth) Read more →
Something is Really Wrong
I just read another LinkedIn post from a person who lost her job and wanted to say farewell to colleagues. I’ve read a lot of posts like this. Probably you have as well. This one was the last straw. I’ve begun to feel like I’m watching something terrible happening right in front of me without saying anything about it. My dad graduated from the Naval Academy, served his country, got his first civilian job and worked at that company his entire life. It wasn’t uncommon for men of that generation to work their whole career at one company. It’s not possible that those companies never had a bad quarter or a bad year, but they managed downturns without layoffs. Workers weren’t acquired and disposed of like potted plants. This was before human dignity was replaced by managerial elites with no interest in the development, prosperity, security, freedom or well-being of… Read more →
I Got a Bonus
I got my year-end bonus today. I really hadn’t given it any thought, how it was calculated, where it maxed out, because any company I’ve ever worked with where I was eligible for a bonus, I never got it. And my experience has been that nobody else ever gets the bonus either, with the exception of people in sales and people in the highest echelons of the company. Rank-and-file people don’t get bonuses. If the company wanted to pay you the bonus, they’d make it part of your salary. Anyway . . . I do training classes for software engineers, and it turns out my bonus is calculated based on graduation rate and student surveys, where students respond to statements like “I receive actionable feedback on my performance” on a 5-point scale from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree. I had no idea. As it turns out, I did get the… Read more →
Thomas Jefferson on the Midterm Results
My fellow Americans – I thought Republicans would fare better than they did in the recent midterm elections. My reasoning was that Joe Biden and his administration have taken so much away from us that Americans would never vote to continue down the same path. Some of my readers may be financially well-to-do. If you fall into that group, I ask that you consider some of what I’m about to say from the perspective of the majority of your countrymen who live near, at or below the median level of income. Biden has taken away the ability to buy a tank of gas at an affordable price. the ability to buy groceries without gasping in shock at the total cost. the ability to retire comfortably. Retirement accounts have been drained due to the performance of the investment markets and inflation rates have gone through the roof. The ability to retire… Read more →
Tom Brady, Gisele Bündchen File for Divorce
I may be ignorant about crucially important details obviously but it seems like the main problem from Ms. Bündchen’s point of view was that her husband had a job. First, I’m super against divorces for people with minor children. Second, there are just few if any people who are as physically attractive as Tom Brady, have the charisma of Tom Brady, have as much money as Tom Brady, and are as good at their job as Tom Brady. So if she’s thinking she’s going to upgrade her spouse, she’s almost certainly deluded or getting bad advice. On the other side, I can’t help thinking that Tom Brady would be able to choose from any number of fabulously attractive women to enliven his social life. Read more →
Private Eyes
Well, it’s time for another background check. The current background check company, Private Eyes, is not as bad as HireRight — yet! — but they still have time to catch up. To start with, they asked me to fill out and submit forms with all information regarding my education and previous employers, which I did. Annnnd here comes their first communication: Hello Paul, My name is Tiffany with Private Eyes, a pre-employment background screening company. We are currently working on your employment background check. We are having trouble reaching someone who can help us verify your employment and education. If you can, please assist us by providing a copy of your check stub or W-2 form for Company A, a pay stub or W2 form from Company B and your diploma/degree/certificate/ or transcripts from your school Harvard University [school name changed – PE]. Doing so will help us speed up… Read more →
LinkedIn Recommendation, First Draft
One of the most distinguished and highly reputable dignitaries in our national economy. Not only an inspired and enthusiastic creator of material assets but he is also an outstanding figure, a national benefactor, author of good deeds, in fact a patron commanding nationwide gratitude: aere perennius, full of good deeds and charitable activity, unprecedented in the annals of our more recent past, an exemplary and significant figure, meritorious public worker and pioneer. Too much? Read more →
A Moment of Love
Everything was worn out about people: they complained about debts; they were involved in gossip; they had five-storied houses built; they traded in large objects; they bought ships, mines, vineyards; at bridge parties they lamented worriedly and falsely about being too busy; everybody talked about his work, whereas, in fact, nobody did anything; people played bridge and for whole nights groaned for a moment of love. — Miroslav Krleža, On the Edge of Reason Read more →
You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good. — Jerry West
Here Comes Your 19th Nervous Breakdown
One of the symptoms of approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important and that to take a holiday would bring all kinds of disaster. If I were a medical man, I should prescribe a holiday to any patient who considered his work important. — Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness Read more →
Never a Dull Moment
“I can’t eat a big lunch because it makes me feel sluggish in the afternoon, you know what I mean?” “No.” “You never eat a big lunch then feel sluggish in the afternoon?” “No, my job is too exciting. Never a dull moment.” Read more →
My Role Model
My boss showed up late as usual for a conference call . . . “Sorry I’m late,” he said, when he finally arrived. “No problem,” I said. “You’re my role model. Someday I want a job where I can just show up whenever I want to.” Read more →
Employee of the Year
Joe Biden Believes in Hard Work and Ingenuity?
Joe Biden believes that there’s no greater economic engine in the world than the hard work and ingenuity of the American people. But for too long, the economy has worked great for those at the top, while working families continually get squeezed. — President Biden Announces the Build Back Better Framework Joe Biden believes in hard work and ingenuity! Unless that hard work and ingenuity results in the acquisition of wealth, at which point aspiration and investment are to be punished. Read more →
Work? Optional
Long Working Hours Killing 745,000 People a Year?
The research found that working 55 hours or more a week was associated with a 35% higher risk of stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from heart disease, compared with a working week of 35 to 40 hours. The study, conducted with the International Labour Organization (ILO), also showed almost three quarters of those that died as a result of working long hours were middle-aged or older men. Often, the deaths occurred much later in life, sometimes decades later, than the long hours were worked. Is this science? You know, people say “follow the science” but most people aren’t smart enough to understand science, let alone explain it to others. Lots of problems with this one, starting with the fact that “associated with” doesn’t imply cause and effect and doesn’t mean the same thing as “hard work is killing a specific number of people every year.” Were obesity… Read more →
Why Are They Working and Why Are We Not?
As I walked out all the streets were empty The government said everyone should stay home And they spread fear and loathing and no hope for the future Not many did question this very strange move Well, on the government website from the 21st March 2020 It said COVID-19 was no longer high risk Then two days later Boris put us under lockdown Then why are we not being told the truth? By all the media outlets and the government lackeys Why is this not big news, why is it being ignored? Why no checks and balances, why no second opinions? Why are they working, and why are we not? Why are they working, and why are we not? Why are they working, and why are we not? Why are they working, and why are we not? Why are they working, and why are we not? Why are they working,… Read more →